Ethics in Research

Ethics is that branch of philosophy concerned with the moral evaluation of human actions. Ethics is what one ought to do or not to do in any given situation, according to certain principles and standards. Ethics is a system of moral principles, rules, and standards of conduct that determines one’s moral obligation and duty. Ethics is not a gut reaction or a feeling. It is not religious and it is not social convention. Although people in any society learn to live together by agreeing to go along with a number of social rules and conventions, there is nothing inherently right or wrong about what social convention requires for getting along in one’s social group. This entry describes ethics in research. It begins with an introduction ...